The St. Louis River is among 43 Areas of Concern (AOCs) in the Great Lakes and it is one of the largest AOCs geographically. AOCs are places that were polluted by common past practices of dumping untreated waste on land and water. The pollutants in the bottom of the river have degraded the habitat for fish and wildlife and contribute to human health risks. The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the U.S. and Canada calls upon states and the federal government to clean up these areas.

The Issues

From the original Remedial Action Plan, nine issues were identified that need to be addressed before the St. Louis River can be taken off the Areas of Concern list. The first two listed are current priorities for removal.

Helping to address these issues is just one of the ways that St. Louis River Alliance has made a difference by partnering with local, state, tribal, and federal agencies to clean up and restore the St. Louis River. The Alliance is a citizen-based nonprofit organization that has a mission to protect, restore and enhance the St. Louis River.

“St. Louis River Area of Concern”: SEDIMENT CLEANUP PROGRESS

In 2016 and 2017, the SLRA lead the effort to secure $25.4 million dollars in bonding money from Minnesota in order to clean up contaminated sediments in the harbor. This triggered an additional$47.2 million from EPA to complete the projects. Hundreds of SLRA members and Coalition supporters joined together to make this effort a reality. You can now see the work in progress around the harbor. We would like to thank you all for your support!

River Video Viewpoints

The Great Lakes, a vital asset to 35 million residents, have a legacy of pollution due to our nation's industrial past. The Great Legacy Act revitalizes rivers, lakes, and harbors, known as Areas of Concern, helping to restore lost benefits. Click on the video to see how!